U.S. patent application number 14/126543 was filed with the patent office on 2015-02-05 for structure for preventing eccentricity of movable contact in vaccum circuit breaker.
The applicant listed for this patent is HYUNDAI HEAVY INDUSTRIES CO., LTD.. Invention is credited to Hyun-jae Kim.
Application Number | 20150034598 14/126543 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 49483407 |
Filed Date | 2015-02-05 |
United States Patent
Application |
20150034598 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Kim; Hyun-jae |
February 5, 2015 |
STRUCTURE FOR PREVENTING ECCENTRICITY OF MOVABLE CONTACT IN VACCUM
CIRCUIT BREAKER
Abstract
The present invention relates to a vacuum circuit breaker, and
more particularly, to a structure for preventing the eccentricity
of a movable contact in a vacuum circuit breaker, wherein the
concentricity of a fixed contact and the movable contact is
maintained by preventing the eccentricity of and maintaining the
straightness of the movable contact when the vacuum circuit breaker
opens/closes so as to improve sealing performance and to prevent
the increase in temperature. The present invention provides the
structure for preventing eccentricity of a movable contact in a
vacuum circuit breaker, including a housing which comprises an
upper terminal installed at an upper portion thereof, a lower
terminal installed at a lower portion thereof, and a vacuum
interrupter installed therein; a terminal part which comprises a
fixed contact and the movable contact disposed in the vacuum
interrupter to be contacted with and separated from each other; a
rod part including a connecting rod which is connected to the
movable contact to move the movable contact in the vacuum
interrupter, and passed through the lower terminal to be connected
with the movable contact; and a stretchable terminal which is
contacted and electrically connected with the lower terminal and
the connecting rod, and contacted with the connecting rod to
enclose a side surface of the connecting rod.
Inventors: |
Kim; Hyun-jae; (Ulsan,
KR) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
HYUNDAI HEAVY INDUSTRIES CO., LTD. |
Ulsan |
|
KR |
|
|
Family ID: |
49483407 |
Appl. No.: |
14/126543 |
Filed: |
December 18, 2012 |
PCT Filed: |
December 18, 2012 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/KR2012/011063 |
371 Date: |
December 16, 2013 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
218/140 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H01H 33/6606 20130101;
H01H 2033/6667 20130101; H01H 33/666 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
218/140 |
International
Class: |
H01H 33/66 20060101
H01H033/66; H01H 33/666 20060101 H01H033/666 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Apr 25, 2012 |
KR |
10-2012-0043315 |
Claims
1. A structure for preventing eccentricity of a movable contact in
a vacuum circuit breaker, comprising: a housing which comprises an
upper terminal installed at an upper portion thereof, a lower
terminal installed at a lower portion thereof, and a vacuum
interrupter installed therein; a terminal part which comprises a
fixed contact and the movable contact disposed in the vacuum
interrupter to be contacted with and separated from each other; a
rod part comprising a connecting rod which is connected to the
movable contact to move the movable contact in the vacuum
interrupter, and passed through the lower terminal to be connected
with the movable contact; and a stretchable terminal which is
contacted and electrically connected with the lower terminal and
the connecting rod, and contacted with the connecting rod to
enclose a side surface of the connecting rod.
2. The structure of claim 1, wherein the stretchable terminal
comprises, a flat coupling portion having a through-hole through
which the connecting rod is passed; first and second supporting
portions which are respectively vertically extended from both edges
of the coupling portion, and first and second bonding portions
which are respectively vertically extended from the first and
second supporting portions to an outside.
3. The structure of claim 1, further comprising a guide bush
interposed between the lower terminal and the connecting rod.
4. The structure of claim 2, wherein the connecting rod is passed
through and connected with the bonding portion, and each of the
first and second bonding portions is connected and fixed to the
lower terminal to electrically connect the lower terminal and the
connecting rod.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention relates to a vacuum circuit breaker,
and more particularly, to a structure for preventing eccentricity
of a movable contact in a vacuum circuit breaker, in which
concentricity between a fixed contact and a movable contact is
maintained by preventing eccentricity of the movable contact and
maintaining straightness thereof when the vacuum circuit breaker is
opened/closed, thereby improving breaking performance and
controlling increase in temperature.
BACKGROUND ART
[0002] A circuit breaker is an electrical protecting apparatus for
protecting load appliances and lines from a fault current due to
short circuit, grounding, etc. that may occur on an electric
circuit.
[0003] According to used arc extinguishing medium, the circuit
breaker can be classified into an oil circuit breaker using oil as
an arc extinguishing, a gas circuit breaker using inert gas of SF6,
an air blast circuit breaker using air, a magnetic blast circuit
breaker using magnetism, and a vacuum circuit breaker using
dielectric strength in vacuum.
[0004] Among them, the vacuum circuit breaker is a circuit and
appliance protecting apparatus in which arc generated when
switching a normal load or breaking a fault current is extinguished
in a vacuum interrupter in order to rapidly separate a circuit.
[0005] For example, a conventional vacuum circuit breaker includes
a housing, a terminal part, a rod part and a stretchable terminal.
Upper and lower terminals are formed at upper and lower portions of
the housing, and a fixed contact connected to the upper terminal
and a movable contact connected to the lower terminal are
configured to be contacted with and separated from each other in a
vacuum interrupter disposed in the housing.
[0006] Meanwhile, the rod part is connected to the movable contact
so as to lift up and down the movable contact. In order to
electrically connect the lower terminal with the rod part, the
stretchable terminal is formed into a single metal piece of which
one end is connected to the lower terminal, and the other end is
connected to the rod part, and pressure-welded at two points
thereof.
[0007] In the conventional vacuum circuit breaker as described
above, there is a problem that, when the movable contact moves up
and down, the movable contact is inclined to one side, i.e.,
eccentricity of the movable contact is occurred.
[0008] Further, since the stretchable terminal connects the movable
contact and the rod part in only one direction, straightness of the
movable contact is not maintained due to an eccentric load
generated when the movable contact moves.
[0009] Therefore, since eccentricity of the movable contact is
occurred and the straightness thereof is not maintained,
concentricity between the fixed contact and the movable contact is
not maintained, and breaking performance is deteriorated, and also
temperature is raised abnormally when a rated current is
applied.
DISCLOSURE
Technical Problem
[0010] The present invention is directed to providing a structure
for preventing eccentricity of a movable contact in a vacuum
circuit breaker, in which concentricity between a fixed contact and
a movable contact is maintained by preventing eccentricity of the
movable contact and maintaining straightness thereof when the
vacuum circuit breaker is opened/closed, thereby improving breaking
performance and preventing increase in temperature
Technical Solution
[0011] One aspect of the present invention provides a structure for
preventing eccentricity of a movable contact in a vacuum circuit
breaker, including a housing which comprises an upper terminal
installed at an upper portion thereof, a lower terminal installed
at a lower portion thereof, and a vacuum interrupter installed
therein; a terminal part which comprises a fixed contact and the
movable contact disposed in the vacuum interrupter to be contacted
with and separated from each other; a rod part including a
connecting rod which is connected to the movable contact to move
the movable contact in the vacuum interrupter, and passed through
the lower terminal to be connected with the movable contact; and a
stretchable terminal which is contacted and electrically connected
with the lower terminal and the connecting rod, and contacted with
the connecting rod to enclose a side surface of the connecting
rod.
[0012] The stretchable terminal may include a flat coupling portion
having a through-hole through which the connecting rod is passed;
first and second supporting portions which are respectively
vertically extended from both edges of the coupling portion, and
first and second bonding portions which are respectively vertically
extended from the first and second supporting portions to an
outside.
[0013] The structure may further include a guide bush interposed
between the lower terminal and the connecting rod.
[0014] The connecting rod may be passed through and connected with
the bonding portion, and each of the first and second bonding
portions may be connected and fixed to the lower terminal to
electrically connect the lower terminal and the connecting rod.
Advantageous Effects
[0015] Therefore, since the stretchable terminal is pressure-welded
at three points, a contacting surface area is increased, and
generated heat is rapidly diffused due to the increased contacting
surface area, and thus temperature rise is restricted.
[0016] Also, since the connecting rod is passed through a
through-hole formed in a coupling portion of the stretchable
terminal, and thus an outer surface of the connecting rod is
enclosed by the coupling portion, it is possible to prevent
eccentricity and eccentric load which are generated when the
connecting rod moves up and down.
[0017] Therefore, since the eccentricity and eccentric load of the
connecting rod are prevented, it is possible to maintain
straightness of the connecting rod and the movable contact which is
moved while being connected to the connecting rod, and thus it is
possible to maintain concentricity between the fixed contact and
the movable contact, thereby improving breaking performance and
restraining abnormal temperature rise generated by the fixed
contact and the movable contact which are contacted eccentrically
with each other.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0018] FIG. 1 is a side cross-sectional view illustrating a
structure for preventing eccentricity of a movable contact in a
vacuum circuit breaker according to an embodiment of the present
invention.
[0019] FIG. 2 is a front cross-sectional view illustrating the
structure for preventing eccentricity of the movable contact in the
vacuum circuit breaker according to the embodiment of the present
invention.
[0020] FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a stretchable
terminal of the structure for preventing eccentricity of the
movable contact in the vacuum circuit breaker according to the
embodiment of the present invention.
MODES OF THE INVENTION
[0021] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention
will be described in detail. However, the present invention is not
limited to the exemplary embodiments disclosed below, but can be
implemented in various forms. The following exemplary embodiments
are described in order to enable those of ordinary skill in the art
to embody and practice the invention.
[0022] It will be further understood that terms, such as those
defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as
having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the
context of the relevant art and will not be interpreted in an
idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined
here.
[0023] FIG. 1 is a side cross-sectional view illustrating a
structure for preventing eccentricity of a movable contact in a
vacuum circuit breaker according to an embodiment of the present
invention, FIG. 2 is a front cross-sectional view illustrating the
structure for preventing eccentricity of the movable contact in the
vacuum circuit breaker according to the embodiment of the present
invention, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a
stretchable terminal of the structure for preventing eccentricity
of the movable contact in the vacuum circuit breaker according to
the embodiment of the present invention.
[0024] Hereinafter, a structure for preventing eccentricity of a
movable contact in a vacuum circuit breaker according to an
embodiment of the present invention will be described with
reference to FIGS. 1 to 3.
[0025] The for preventing eccentricity of the movable contact in
the vacuum circuit breaker according to an embodiment of the
present invention includes a housing 100, a terminal part 200, a
rod part 300, a stretchable terminal 400 and a guide bush 500.
[0026] Here, the housing 100 includes an upper terminal 110
installed at an upper portion thereof, a lower terminal 120
installed at a lower portion thereof, and a vacuum interrupter 130
installed therein.
[0027] The upper terminal 110 functions as an input terminal which
is electrically connected with a power line of a power source so
that a current supplied from the power source is flowed in the
vacuum circuit breaker, and the lower terminal 120 functions as an
output terminal which is electrically connected with a power line
of a load so that the current flowed in the vacuum circuit breaker
is flowed to the load.
[0028] Meanwhile, the vacuum interrupter 130 is a vacuous area in
which a fixed contact 210 and a movable contact 220 of the terminal
part 200 are located to be contacted with and separated from each
other, and an arc generated when the fixed contact 210 and movable
contact 220 are separated from each other is extinguished.
[0029] The terminal part 200 includes the fixed contact 210 and the
movable contact 220 which are contacted with and separated from
each other in the vacuum interrupter 130. At this time, the fixed
contact 210 is electrically connected with the upper terminal 110,
and the movable contact 220 is electrically connected with the
lower terminal 120.
[0030] At this time, the fixed contact 210 is extended downwardly
from the upper terminal 110, and passed through an upper portion of
the vacuum interrupter 130 so as to be located at the upper portion
of the vacuum interrupter 130.
[0031] Meanwhile, the movable contact 220 may be passed through a
lower portion of the vacuum interrupter 130 so as to be located at
the lower portion of the vacuum interrupter 130. At this time, the
movable contact 220 is disposed to be moved up and down by the rod
part 300.
[0032] At this time, the fixed contact 210 and movable contact 220
are disposed to maintain concentricity therebetween.
[0033] The rod part 300 is a member which is connected with the
movable contact 220 in order to move the movable contact 220 in the
vacuum interrupter 130. The rod part 300 may include a connecting
rod 310 which is connected with the movable contact 220 and an
insulating rod 320 which is connected with the connecting rod 310
and operated by a driving device 600 in order to move the
connecting rod 310.
[0034] At this time, the connecting rod 310 is passed through the
lower terminal 120 and connected with the movable contact 220.
[0035] Meanwhile, an upper end of the connecting rod 310 is
connected with a lower end of the movable contact 220, and the
insulating rod 320 is connected with a lower end of the connecting
rod 310, and the insulating rod 320 is moved up and down by the
driving device 600.
[0036] Therefore, the insulating rod 320 is moved up and down by
the driving device 600, and thus the connecting rod 310 connected
to an upper portion of the insulating rod 320, and the movable
contact 220 connected with the upper end of the connecting rod 310
is also moved up and down.
[0037] At this time, the driving device 600 which is connected to
the insulating rod 320 in order to operate the insulating rod 320
may be, for example, a lever, and a bellows 330 may be further
installed at a position of the insulating rod 320, which is
connected with the connecting rod 310.
[0038] The stretchable terminal 400 is located at an upper side of
the lower terminal 120, i.e., between the lower terminal 120 and
the movable contact 220, and connected with each of the lower
terminal 120 and the connecting rod 310 so that the lower terminal
120 and connecting rod 310 are electrically connected with each
other. The stretchable terminal 400 is formed to be stretchable and
thus lifted up and down when the connecting rod 310 is lifted up
and down.
[0039] At this time, the stretchable terminal 400 is contacted with
the connecting rod 310 while enclosing a side surface of the
connecting rod 310.
[0040] The stretchable terminal 400 may have wrinkles in order to
be facilely stretched, and may be formed by stacking multiple
copper plates having a thin thickness, for example a thickness of
0.05 to 0.1 mm.
[0041] Meanwhile, as shown in FIG. 3, the stretchable terminal 400
includes a flat coupling portion 410 having a through-hole 411
through which the connecting rod 310 is passed, first and second
supporting portions 420 and 430 which are respectively extended
vertically from both edges of the coupling portion 410, and first
and second bonding portions 440 and 450 which are respectively
extended vertically from the first and second supporting portions
420 and 430 to an outside.
[0042] At this time, since the connecting rod 310 is passed through
the coupling portion 410 and contacted with each other, and each of
the first and second bonding portions 440 and 450 is connected and
fixed to the lower terminal 120, the lower terminal 120 and
connecting rod 310 are electrically connected with each other by
the stretchable terminal 400.
[0043] Therefore, the stretchable terminal 400 electrically
connects the lower terminal 120 and the connecting rod 310 through
three contacting points, i.e., a contacting point between the
connecting rod 310 and the coupling portion 410, a contacting point
between the lower terminal 120 and the first bonding portion 440
and a contacting point between the lower terminal 120 and the
second bonding portion 450.
[0044] The guide bush 500 is interposed between the lower terminal
120 and the connecting rod 310 in order to maintain straightness of
the connecting rod 310. The guide bush 500 may be formed into a
circular plate having a hole at a center thereof
[0045] Therefore, in the conventional art, the stretchable terminal
is pressure-welded at two points, but according to the embodiment,
since the stretchable terminal 400 is pressure-welded at three
points, a contacting surface area is increased, and thus generated
heat may be diffused rapidly by the increased contacting surface
area, thereby restraining temperature rise.
[0046] Further, since the connecting rod 310 is passed through the
through-hole 411 formed in the coupling portion 410 of the
stretchable terminal 400 so that a side surface of the connecting
rod 310 is enclosed by the coupling portion 410, it is possible to
prevent eccentricity and eccentric load occurred when the
connecting rod 310 is moved up and down.
[0047] Therefore, since the eccentricity and eccentric load of the
connecting rod 310 are prevented, it is possible to maintain
straightness of the connecting rod 310 and movable contact 220
which is connected to the connecting rod 310 to be moved, and thus
concentricity between the fixed contact 210 and the movable contact
220 can be maintained, whereby breaking performance can be
maintained, and temperature rise generated by the fixed contact 210
and the movable contact 220 which are contacted in an eccentric
state.
[0048] Until now, the technical spirit of the structure for
preventing eccentricity of the movable contact in the vacuum
circuit breaker according to the present invention is described
with reference to the drawings, but the present invention is not
limited to this. While the present invention has been described in
detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions
and alterations can be made hereto without departing from the
spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended
claims.
INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY
[0049] The present invention can be efficiently applied to a
structure for preventing eccentricity of a movable contact in a
vacuum circuit breaker, in which concentricity between a fixed
contact and a movable contact is maintained by preventing
eccentricity of the movable contact and maintaining straightness
thereof when the vacuum circuit breaker is opened/closed, thereby
improving breaking performance and controlling increase in
temperature.
* * * * *